


seeing 20/20

by childoflightningg



Series: finally seeing you [3]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:28:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23636833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/childoflightningg/pseuds/childoflightningg
Summary: Alya still didn’t know. Marinette reminded herself of this repeatedly as she stared in shock at the Ladyblog.It was a photo of Ladybug and Chat Noir. Marinette thanked every speck of good luck in her body that they weren’t doing anything more than holding hands and laughing, but she still felt the ache of one more piece of privacy invaded.Marinette closed her eyes and let her face fall into her palms. This was why they had set ground rules—when in costume, they were partners only. They had slipped for just one self-indulgent minute, walking along a rooftop, enjoying the cool air, letting their intertwined hands swing slightly in the space between them.Everyone would settle down and forget about it eventually. She hoped.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: finally seeing you [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/415687
Comments: 10
Kudos: 152





	seeing 20/20

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I am officially at the point in quarantine where I'm digging up fics I wrote in 2016 rather than tending to real-world responsibilities.
> 
> I've gotten a slight increase in comments on my old fics since this pandemic started, which has been so sweet! (The comments, not the pandemic.) I'm not really involved in this world anymore, but it makes me feel so special that people are still reading these. Thank you so much.
> 
> This is the third installment in the "finally seeing you" series. I never quite got it where I wanted it back when I was in the ml fandom, but I got enough of it done that I think some of you might still enjoy it. If nothing else, I hope it sparks some fun headcanons. I love reading fics and cherry-picking the details that make me feel warm fuzzies—or angst—to think about, so my hopes are someone uses this for that :)
> 
> There are a couple small author's notes in the middle of the text, as if we're on fanfiction.net in the 2000s. Please forgive me, it was the easiest way to fill in the gaps in the story.

Alya still didn’t know.

Marinette reminded herself of this repeatedly as she stared in shock at the Ladyblog.

_She doesn’t know. And that was my decision. It’s not her fault that she doesn’t know. She would never knowingly do this to me. She would never knowingly do this to Adrien. She doesn’t know._

It was a photo of Ladybug and Chat Noir. Marinette thanked every speck of good luck in her body that they weren’t doing anything more than holding hands and laughing, but she still felt the ache of one more piece of privacy invaded.

Marinette closed her eyes and let her face fall into her palms. She had expected this. She had known this would happen. This was why they had set ground rules--when in costume, they were partners only. They wouldn’t risk those complications that would come with coming into the light.

They had slipped for just one self-indulgent minute, walking along a rooftop, enjoying the cool air, letting their intertwined hands swing slightly in the space between them.

Marinette dragged her hands down her face and looked back up at the photo. What would be the best damage control? Alya would never turn down an interview, and that might give them a chance to deny it - but if they leapt too fast to quell the rumors, it would seem to confirm them. They could stop hiding their relationship, but Marinette wasn’t ready for that, or for how Hawkmoth might use it against them.

Marinette hauled in a deep breath and tried to relax.

They would have to pretend it didn’t happen. They would have to go about their business as usual, ignoring the allegations of their involvement, denying them if absolutely necessary. If given no other opportunity to expose their relationship, everyone would settle down and forget about it eventually. She hoped.

Marinette closed her eyes and minimized the page, unwilling to see the picture again. She called Adrien.

\- - -

Adrien lifted the trapdoor, peeking into Marinette’s room. “Hey, bug.”

Marinette jumped slightly, then smiled when she saw him. “Shh, don’t call me that,” she whispered. “I wouldn’t put it past Alya to overhear and figure it out,”

“Is Adrien here?” Alya called, climbing down from the balcony. “Oh, finally. Marinette only showed up a few minutes ago. I thought I was going to have to do this project all by myself.”

“Yeah, sorry. I, um, had to do something for my dad,” Adrien said sheepishly, climbing into the room.

“Well, it’s a shame. You missed all the action. Chat Noir and Ladybug took out this crazy akuma, and then after it was gone Chat Noir brought Marinette up to the balcony--”

“Did he?” Adrien asked, managing to look curious.

“Yes! He said she twisted her ankle or something, he was carrying her and he used his staff--”

Marinette interrupted. “It’s not bad. Really, it’s not. I just tripped a little trying to get away from the akuma,” she said. She looked at Adrien, communicating in a way she hopes Alya misses. _I’m fine. I promise. And it’s not your fault._

“It really isn’t that bad,” Alya confirmed. “Her mom was worried, but she can walk and everything.”

“It’s just a little sore,” Marinette said.

“I’ll go get the textbook, I left it up there,” Alya said, climbing the short set of stairs again.

“Really though,” Adrien said in a low voice once she’s out of sight. “You’re okay?”

“I’ll live, kitty.”

“Does it hurt?”

“I’m fine.”

“All right...but you should take a few days off, just in case. We don’t want it to get worse,” Adrien said.

“And make the city think I’ve abandoned them? I can’t do that. You wouldn’t either.”

“Abandoning them for a few days is better than weeks or months if you get a more serious injury.”

Marinette rolled her eyes at him. “Adrien. You need me. I’m not going to--”

“I was thinking a poster might be the best way to go,” Alya said, returning. “I’ve got some ideas, and Marinette’s got plenty of artsy odds and ends to decorate it with.”

“We can talk about this later,” Marinette whispered.

“At least consult Tikki before you decide.”

“...All right. I will.”

Adrien caught her hand as she starts to walk away. “Wait. Listen. I’m sorry.”

Marinette shook her head. “I knew you would do this. It’s not your fault.”

“But I’m supposed to protect you, and today -”

“No,” Marinette said sternly. “I won’t let you beat yourself up about this. I’m all right, you’re all right, Paris is all right. That’s what matters.”

“But I -”

“Shut up,” she advised, squeezing his hand. “Now let’s go get this project done.”

\- - -

_[At this point in the story, Ladybug has done something to deeply hurt Alya. Alya has written about it on her blog.]_

“Are you sure she had malicious intent?” Marinette asked in a small voice.

Alya glowered at her phone screen, scrolling through hundreds of comments on her new blog post. “I’m positive, Mari. She had to know ”

“Maybe you should cut her some slack,” Adrien said, putting an arm around Marinette. “It could easily be an accident. She’s human, Alya. People screw up, even people with superpowers.” He squeezed Marinette’s shoulder gently. She gave him a tiny smile of gratitude.

“We’ll see,” Alya said skeptically. She stalked into the classroom.

_[Alya makes a mean-spirited comment about Ladybug's actions in class. The class laughs.]_

Marinette raised her hand and pointed to the door. The teacher nodded and she ran out of the room. Adrien quickly followed.

“Mari?” Alya asked in confusion minutes later, noticing the empty seat. She raised her own hand to be dismissed.

To her surprise, she heard crying in the hallway. She started to rush to her best friend’s side, but before she could get there she heard Adrien’s voice.

“She doesn’t know,” he said gently. “She loves you. She doesn’t want to hurt you.”

“I know,” Marinette said thickly. Alya peeked around the corner and saw a kneeling Adrien pull a wrinkled but clean Kleenex out of his pocket. Marinette, sitting against the wall, took it with a watery smile.

“Do you want to tell her?” _Her?_

“No.” _Tell who what?_

“If she knew, she wouldn’t behave this way.”

“That’s the worst part,” Marinette croaked. “If she knew. She doesn’t, though. She has no bias, she’s just judging off of my actions. I deserve everything she says.”

He pulled her into a hug. “You do not. You’re human. That doesn’t make you horrible.”

Marinette buried her face in his shoulder. “Thank you, kitty.” _Kitty?_

“Are you ready to go back in there?”

“How red is my face?”

“Not very,” Adrien said, pulling her to her feet. “Anyway, if anyone says a word, you can put them in their place in a second.” Marinette laughed shakily and said something Alya missed as she backed up, trying to quietly return to the classroom before she was spotted.

Marinette came back to class a moment later, her nose and cheeks pink. Adrien followed a couple minutes after. Alya pretended not to notice anything amiss.

Her mind whirred. Her stomach churned. She couldn’t focus.

There had to be some other explanation.

\- - -

Chat was cornered and unarmed. He backed away from the ten-foot-tall akuma. Now might be the time to use Cataclysm, but then he’d have to leave Ladybug alone while he recharged--

There was a loud CLANG and the akuma victim’s eyes rolled up in his head. He fell over unceremoniously, and Ladybug delicately stepped off its shoulders, clutching Chat’s staff. A goose egg was rising on the poor victim’s head from where she brained him with it.

“Wow,” Chat said in awe. “I love you.”

Ladybug pressed her lips together against a smile. “Ground rules!” she scolded, tossing his weapon to him.

Half a dozen ten-foot-tall henchmen were approaching, closing around them. Ladybug and Chat stood back to back. He could see her yo-yo spinning in the corner of his eye. Though he couldn’t see her expression, he could perfectly picture her brows drawn together, her eyes narrowed, sizing up the situation.

“Might be time for some luck,” he murmured.

“I was thinking the same thing,” she said, preparing to throw her yo-yo into the air. But before she could, something seemed to explode at the base of Chat Noir’s skull -

He was on the ground, a pulsing pain in the back of his head, black spots dancing in his vision. Nausea rose in him, and he puked on the street.

“Chat!”

“I’m fine!” he tried to say. He couldn’t hear himself over his scattered thoughts. A shadow blocked the sun above him, and he tried to stand--

“No!” Ladybug snarled, springing into action, hurling herself and her yo-yo at the victim standing behind him…

Chat thought hazily that although she wore the red and black of a ladybug, she resembled nothing so strongly as a lioness in that moment. Her eyes were on fire, her yo-yo lashed out with precision. A red and black lucky charm was clutched in her left hand, but he couldn’t see it clearly enough to identify it…

He couldn’t see her clearly, either, anymore.

Blackness crept into his vision.

“Marinette,” he said feebly, but no one heard.

She was fighting alone.

She was…

\- - -

“Adrien?”

He tried to open his eyes. “Mari?”

She squeezed his hand and he realized that she was cradling him in her lap. He could feel cold ground underneath him.

“Is the akuma gone?” Adrien asked.

“No,” Ladybug said. “I’ll hunt it down later. How do you feel?”

“Awful,” he said. “Am I blind?”

“No, your eyes are closed.”

“It’s so bright,” he said, trying to open them again. He could see that Ladybug was still in costume. She brushed his hair out of his face with a gloved hand.

“I think I hear sirens,” she said. “The ambulance should be here--”

“You called an ambulance?”

“You were out cold. You probably have a concussion. But I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

He squeezed her small hand, hearing the slight tremor in her voice that she’d mostly managed to hide. “I’ll be okay, bug. Go get the akuma.” An ambulance turned the corner, sirens wailing.

She bit her lip, looking over her shoulder. “Okay. I’ll be there at the hospital in no time.” She kissed his forehead.

“Ground rules,” he reminded her sternly, and she cracked a smile before dashing away.

\- - -

Marinette burst into Adrien’s room, out of breath, and immediately grabbed his hand. “Is he all right?” she asked the nurse.

Adrien grunted. “Hello to you too.”

“Hello. Are you all right?”

“He’ll be fine,” the nurse said. “We’re keeping him overnight just to be sure.” She left the room.

“Has your dad come yet?” Marinette asked.

“No,” Adrien said. “I’ll be fine, Mari. He’ll be here in the morning.”

Marinette frowned. “He’s not coming?”

“He has work to do.” He noticed the glower Marinette directed toward the floor, and stroked her hand with his thumb. “It’s okay, Mari. I’m not hurt that badly.”

Marinette leaned over and pressed a feather-light kiss to his temple. “I texted Nino and Alya. They’ll be here soon.”

\- - -- - -

“Hey,” Marinette said, closing the door behind her. She was smiling with her eyes, but she still looked shaken. “Nino and Alya said to tell you they’d be back tomorrow morning.”

She took one of his hands in both of hers and brought it up to her lips. “You scared me.”

“Sorry,” he said. “I won’t do it again.”

“I hope not,” Marinette said. She was quiet for a moment, looking at their hands. “Alya knows.”

Adrien raised his eyebrows. “She does?”

“Yes. And I’m glad.” She sighed. “This secret is making me so tired.”

“Go home,” Adrien said. “Rest.”

“I don’t want to leave you yet.”

“I’ll be fine,” Adrien said. “Nathalie called. My dad will be here soon.”

Marinette brightened. “Good. I’ll stay until he gets here.”

“Then just take a nap here,” Adrien said. “I won’t let anyone wake you up.”

Marinette rested her head on the mattress, still holding onto his hand. “Okay, but tell me when…” She fell asleep, leaving her sentence unfinished.

Adrien smiled, playing with her hair. “Good night, Mari.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for bearing with me through this sloppy draft <3 I hope you're all safe and well.
> 
> You can find me as peggiecarter on tumblr, if you'd like!


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